Bottle closure device



Aug. 14, 1956 H. c. M CL EARY 2,758,736

BOTTLE CLOSURE DEVICE Flled Nov. 10, 1955- 2 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR. HARRY C. McCLEAeY ATTOQNEYS Aug. 14, 1956 c. M cLEARY 2,758,736

BOTTLE CLOSURE DEVICE Filed Nov. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HARRY c. MCQLEARY ATTORNEYS United States Patent Q BOTTLE CLOSURE DEVICE Harry C. Mc'Cleary, Cumberland, Md.

Application November 10, 1955, Serial No. 546,027

2 Claims. (Cl. 215-38) The present invention relates to a device for temporarily closing the open top of a previously opened bottle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for temporarily closing the open top of a bottle after the crown cap which normally closes the bottle has been removed, and one which has means for adjustably gripping the bead on the neck of the bottle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a closure for a bottle which may be easily and quickly secured to the open top of a bottle to preserve the contents of the bottle after the crown cap has been removed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a closure for a bottle to substitute for the crown cap after the latter has been removed, and one which is simple in structure and has few moving parts, and one which may be economically manufactured and assembled.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention shown installed on the neck of a bottle,

Figure 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the device of the present invention,

Figure 6 is a plan view of another form of the device of the present invention, the dotted line shown illustrating the unlocked position of the locking lever,

Figure 7 is an elevational view of the assembly of Figure 6, and

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 7.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the closure device of the present invention comprises a horizontally-disposed first support bar 10 and an inverted cup 11 positioned beneath the bar 10 adjacent one end 12 of the latter. The bar 10 has a longitudinally-arranged closed slot 13 and the cup 11 is dependingly connected to the bar 10 by means of a bolt 14 which extends through the slot 13 and connects the cup 11 to the bar 10 for limited forward and backward movement therealong. A nut 15 and a washer 16 on the bolt 14 loosely secures the cup 11 to the bar 10.

A resilient sealing element 17 is fixedly positioned within the cup 11, as shown in Figure 2, and sealingly closes the open top of a bottle 18 after the crown cap thereof has been removed therefrom.

A second support bar 19 is positioned on the side of the cup 11 adjacent the other end 21 of the first bar 10 and is beneath the bar 10 and is in parallel spaced relation with respect to the bar 10. The bar 10 and the bar ICC 19 are formed of a single piece of rigid metal bent to a U-shape and are connected together by a bight 22.

The second bar 19 has a portion 23 adjacent one end slidably supported in a horizontally-disposed slot 24 in the adjacent part of the Wall of the cup 11. The free end of the second bar 19 is arcuately-shaped as seen in Figure 5 to form a shelf 25. The opposite part of the wall of the cup 11 is provided with a second arcuatelyshaped shelf 26 fixedly carried by the cup 11 and facing the first shelf 25. The shelves 25 and 26 cooperate together to provide a supporting means for the external bead 27 which is adjacent the open top of the bottle 18.

Means is provided connecting the bar 19 to the cup 11 for movement of the shelf 25 toward the shelf 26 in response to the forward movement of the cup 11 and for movement of the shelf 25 away from the shelf 26 in response to the backward movement of the cup 11. Spe-v cifically, this means embodies the bight 22 and the first support bar 10.

Means is provided for effecting the movement of the cup 11 relative to the bar 19 so that the shelf 25 moves toward the shelf 26 to embracingly engage the bottle 18 below the bead 27. Specifically, this means embodies,

in the first form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 5,

inclusive, a bolt 28 having a downwardly-bent end portion 29 anchored in the cup 11 and having its shank extending slidably through a hole 31 in the bight 22. A knurled nut 32 is threadedly engaged on the bolt 28 exteriorly of the bight 22 and bears against the bight 22 to draw the bolt 28 outwardly through the hole 31 and to effect the movement of the cup in the direction toward the nut 32, thus effecting the movement of the shelf 25 towards the shelf 26 to grippingly engage therebetween the neck of the bottle 18. A spring 33 surrounds the portion of the bolt 28 which is between the adjacent parts of the support bar 10 and the support bar 19 and biases the cup 11 for backward movement of the latter.

A bottle-opening hook 34 is secured by a rivet 35 to the under side of the support bar 19. A can-piercing member 36 is secured by a nut and bolt assembly 37 to the under side of the end 12 of the support bar 10, the nut and bolt assembly 37 also serving to secure a hinge bracket 38 to the upper side of the end 12 of the support bar 10. The hinge bracket 38 pivotally supports an eye formation 39 on the adjacent end of a corkscrew 41 for swinging movement of the corkscrew 41 from the nested position to a position perpendicular to the support bar 10. A guard 42 extends over the point of the corkscrew 41 and is pivotally connected by a bolt 43 to the upper face of the support bar 10. A ring 44 is secured in a hole provided in the free end of the bolt 28 and provides a means for hanging the closure device of the present invention upon a hook or nail in a place accessible to the user.

In the second form of the invention shown in Figures 6 to 8, inclusive, the first support bar 45 and second support bar 46 are formed of separate rigid metal pieces and are connected together by a bolt 47 extending through a spacer sleeve 48. The first support bar 45 has a U-shaped formation 49 on its one end, the bight 51 of the U-shaped formation being also secured to the second support bar 46 by means of a nut and bolt assembly 52. The second support bar 46 has an end portion 53 extending through a horizontally-disposed slot 54 formed in the wall of the cup 55. A bolt 56 rises from the upper surface of the cup 55 and a nut 57 on the bolt 56 pivotally connects a lever 58 to the cup 55. The support bar 45 is provided with a slot arranged longitudinally thereof through which extends the bolt 56. The slot permits the movement of the cup 55 relative to the support bars 45 and 46 so that upon forward movement of the cup 55 the portion 53 of the support bar 46 moves inwardly of the cup 55. The portion 53 carries a shelf and another shelf 50, as seen in Figure 8, extends around the opposite half of the the first form of the invention A flange 59 projects vertically from the end of the support b'ar'45'Which is adjacent to'the point of pivotal connection" of the lever 58' With'the cup 55 and-is'enga'ged by a cam'mernber 61 on the adjacent end of the lever 58 for moving :the cup 55 relative to the support bar 45 upon pivotal" movement of the lever 58 from the dotted line position shownin Figure 6 to the full linepositi-on. A bracket 62 risesfrom the lever fifi'intermediate the ends of' th'e latter and forms a support for the eye formation 63 on the end of another corkscrew 64 with another nut and bolt'assenrbly 65 providing apivotal connection for th corkscrew 64.

A can-piercing member 66 is provided on the other end of the-support bar t'remote from the portion 53 and a bottle-opening hook 67 'is formed on the free end of the support bar 45 remote from the'flange 59. A resilient sealing element 68 is fixedly positioned within the cup'SS andsealingly closes the bottle open top when the bottle open top is received within the cup 55.

In use, the closure device of the present invention is used for'sealingly closing theopen top of a previously opened bottle containing a perishable fluid. In the first form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, theclosure-device is placed over the open top of a bottle 18 with the knurled nut 32 backed off a'distance sufviously-opened bottle containing perishable fluid, a closure device comprisirrga horizontally disposed-support bar, an inverted cup positioned beneath said bar adjacent one end and dependingly connected to said bar for limited forward and backward movement therealong, a resilient sealing element fixedly positioned within said cup and adapted to sealingly close said bottle open top, a second support bar positioned on the side of said cup adjacent the other end of the first-named bar beneath and in parallel spaced relation with respect to said first-named bar and carried by said first-named bar,.- said: second .bar having a portion adjacent one end slidably supported in the wall of said cupyan arcuately-shaped first-shelf on said one end of said second bar,;-a second arcuatelyshaped shelf within ficient to permit'the head 27 of the bottle 13 to be inserted above the shelves and 26. The knurled nut 3211s then turned in a clockwise direction to tighten the shelf 25 below the bead 27. in the form of the invention shown in Figures 6 to 8, inclusive, the closure device is' placed over the neck of a bottle with the resilient sealing ele ment 68 closing the bottle open top. The lever 58' is moved-to the position in which the cam member s1 is out of engagement with the flange 5i. This permits the head of the bottle to be received above the shelves within the cup 55. The 'lever58 is then moved so that the cam member 6lbea-rs against the flange 59 and this tightens the shelves within the cup 55 about the neck'cf the bottle below the bead thereon; The shifting movement'of the support bars 45 and i6 relativeto the cup 55 resulting from the turning of the lever 58 is shown in dotted lines in Figure 6 The closure device of the present invention provides, in each of-its embodiments, meansfor piercing cans and forop'ening bottles, as well as means for closing a bottle after it has been opened, 'ina single unitary tool.

"What is claimed is: 1. For use insealingly closing the open top of a we and fixedly carried by said cup and facing said first shelf, said first and second shelves cooperating together to provide a supporting means for the external bead adjacent the open top of the bottle, and means connecting said second bar to said cup for movement of said firstshelf toward said second shelf responsive-to'the'forward movemont'of said cup and for movement of said firstshelf away from said second shelf responsive to the backward movement of said cup.

, 2. For ,use in seal'ingly closing-the open top of a previously-opened bottle containing perishable fluid, aclosure device comprising a horizontally-disposedsupport bar, an inverted cup positioned beneath said bar adjacent one end and dependingly connected to saidbar'for limited forward and backward movement therealonga-resilient sealing element fixedly positioned within said cup andadapted to sealingly close said bottle open top,- a second support bar positioned on the side of said cup adjacent the other end of the first-named bar beneath and in parallel spaced relation with respect to said first-named bar and carried by said first-named bar, said second bar'havinga portion adjacent one end slidably supported-in the wait of said cup, anarcuatelyshaped first shelf on said one end of said second bar, a second arcuately-shaped shelf Within and fixedly carried by said cup and facing said first shelf, said first and second shelves cooperating togetherto provide a' supporting means for the external bead adjacent the open top of the bottle, means connecting said second bar to said cup for movement of said first shelf toward said second shelf responsive to the forward movement of said cup and for. movement of said first'shelf away from said second shelf responsive to the backward movement of said cup, and means operatively connected to said cup for effecting the movements of the latter.

No references cited. 

